Wilmot Gateway Park kick-off

A campaign kick-off reception for the Wilmot Gateway Park was held last Thursday at Columbia Winery.
Tax-deductible donations are now being sought to raise a total of $650,000 for park construction, to be matched by City of Woodinville funding. Significant sums are projected through the sale of personalized bricks and tiles that will be installed at the park.
The park property, six acres located south of the NE 175th and South Bypass and adjacent to the Sammamish trail, was purchased by the City of Woodinville in August 1994 with a $500,000 grant from Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, $800,000 from King County Conservation Futures Bond, and $300,000 from city funding. Dedicated to the late Jerry Wilmot, the park design was envisioned by a group of local citizens and led by Dave McNeal, a landscape architect with Jongejan, Gerrard & McNeal.
Displays of the park plans, oversized checks, and a slide presentation were set in the Columbia banquet hall which took on a park-like atmosphere with large trees donated by Olympic Nursery and an abundance of flowers provided by Molbak's. A brass quintet provided the music.
Models at the event showed the 500-foot picnic pavilion structure, an additional new side trail through the property to and from the Sammamish Trail, a children's playground, and the open space amphitheatre.
A short presentation honored those who have contributed a total of $156,000 towards the goal. Donations include Woodinville Rotary, $75,000; Woodinville Garden Club, $20,000; Columbia Winery, $10,000; Bill and Linda Renn, $10,000; Private Citizens, $9,000; Towne Bank, $5,000; Molbak's, $20,000; Frontier Bank, $1,000; Town of Grace, $5,000; Don and Cynthia Brocha, $1,000.
For information, call the City of Woodinville at 488-2700.